Snow-plow



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

C. L. GOATES. SNOW PLOW. No. 552,891. Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

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snow PLOW.

Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

C. L. COATES.

(No Model.)

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ANMEW BJQRAHAH, vnmomno WASH NGTON. 11C.

UNITED STATES PATENT (TLARENCE L. COATES, OF BRIDGElYATER, VERMONT.

S N OW- PLOW.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 552,891, dated January14:, 1896. Application filed May 9, 1895. Serial No. 548,746. (liemzield mals and capable of ready adjustment to adapt the clearingdevices to the width of a road and to enable them to be readily broughtinto and out of operation at either side of the plow.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a snow-plowconstructed in accordance nit-h this invention. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional view. sectional view. Fig. i is a side View, the wings beingremoved to show the construction of the vertically-adj ustable siderunners. Fig. 5 is a plan view partly in section. Fig. 6 is a detailsectional view of one of the cutters and the adjacent wing.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all. thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a plow-frame provided with a tapered front portion 2, andhaving a substantially rectangular extension 3, projecting forward fromthe tapered front portion 2, and the frame is composed of parallellongitudi- .nal beams 4, suit-ably connected and braced,

and provided with a platform or covering of suitable material.

The front of the plow-frame is supported bya bob-sled 5, composed ofopposite runners and a connecting cross-piece 6, and having a polepivotally connected to the front terminals of the runners 5. Thecrossbar 6 of the bobsled has mounted upon it a verticallydisposedrectangular frame or keeper 8,which is swivelcd to the cross-bar G, andwhich re- Fig. 3 is a longitudinal ceives a draft-bar J of theplow-frame. The

rectangular frame or keeper is arranged on a wear-plate 10, and hasmounted in it an adjusting-screw 11, provided at its upper end with ahand-wheel 12, and passing through a threaded perforation of thedraft-bar 9, and adapted to raise and lower the front of the plow-frame,whereby angularly-disposed cut ters 13, which are mounted on the taperedportion of the plow-frame, may be adjusted vertically in order to cutproperly.

The cutters 13 are disposed substantially at an angle of forty-fivedegrees, and have their front terminals separated, in order to cut apath or way at each side of the plow, and to leave a central core orridge. The cutters are arranged at an inclination, and are provided withmetal faces, and have sharpened lower edges, and they are provided withvertical upper portions 14, extending centrally above the platform orfloor of the plowframe.

The snow-plow is provided at its sides with adjustable wings 15,composed of front and rear sections 16 and 1'7,hinged together at theiradjacent ends at 18 and located adjacent to the tapered orangularly-disposed sides of the frame, where the cutters 13 are mounted,and extending along the straight sides of the frame in rear of thecutters. The front sections of the wings are pivoted at 19 at the rearterminus of the extension 3, and the vertical portions 14: of thecutters are extended inward over the plow-frame an d form bearings forthe front ends of the sections 16 of the wings. The sections 16 and 17of the wings are provided attheir upper edges with outwardlyinclinedportions 20 for throwing the snow outward and to prevent the same fromgetting over the wings and falling in upon the plowframe, and the frontends of the sections 16 are recessed at opposite sides of the extension3, and project inward over the rear of the same to prevent snow fromcollecting on the plowframe at that point.

Each win gis capable of vertical adjustment to set it properly to suitthe depth of the snow to be cleared, and the front section 16 isconnected to one end of a wire rope or cable 21, which passes over apulley 22 of a post 23, and has its other end connected with an adjustinglever 24, and the latter is fulcrumed at its lower end at the baseof the post, and is provided with a spring-actuated detent 25, arrangedto engage a curved ratchet 26, on which the lever slides. The curvedratchet 26, is supported by a horizontal portion or bar extendingoutward from the lower end of the post and arranged on the floor orplatform of the plow-frame, and the upper end of the curved ratchet issecured to the post, the leverbeing provided with an opening to receivethe ratchet. The spring-actuated detent is operated by a latch-leverlocated near the handle of the operating-lever. By this construction thepivoted wings may be adjusted independently of each other and may bequickly raised and instantly brought into position to clear away a driftat one side of the plow or the other.

The wings are adjustable laterally to vary the width of the snow-plowand to enable it to adjust itself to the width of a road and to clearany obstruction. The rear sections 17 are connectedto adjustable braces27, having their inner ends mounted on and arranged to slidetransversely of the plow-frame, and provided at their outer ends withangularly-disposed arms 28. The angularly-disposed arms 28 are arrangedsubstantially at right angles to the braces and are constructed ofmetal, and consist each of an Lshaped piece, havin g one portionextended along and secured to the brace, while the other portionprojects from the same to form the arm. The outer end of the arm isprovided with a hook or eye, which is linked into an eye of thesection17, whereby the arm is hinged to the inner face of the same. \Vhen thesection 17 of the wing is in a substantially horizontal position, thearm 28 bears flat against the inner face of the same, and as the wing isswung upward the outer end of the brace or prop 27 leaves the inner faceof the section 27, swinging on the hinge of the arm 28, and the latteris supported by a bracing-rod 29.

The inner ends of the props or braces 27 are provided with T-shapedtongues 30,which are interlocked with transverse plates 31, mounted onthe snow-plow frame and sepa rated to form slots or ways for theT-shaped tongues, whereby the inner ends of the props or braces arecapable of sliding across the plow-frame to swing the hinged sections 17of the wings outward. This connection at the inner ends of the props orbraces forms a hinge and permits the braces to swing upward when thewings are adjusted vertically.

The wings are operated to swing them laterally by vertical shafts 31*,located at opposite sides of the plow-frame and journaled in suitablebearings and provided at their upper ends with hand-wheels, and groovedpulleys are located at the lower ends of the shafts and are fixed to thesame, and have attached to them wire ropes or cables 33, which passaround pulleys 34 and are secured to the inner ends of the braces orprops 27, whereby when the cables or wire ropes are wound around thegrooved pulleys the props or braces 27 will be forced outward to spreadthe rear sections 17 of the wings. The pulleys 34 are located adjacentto the terminals of the slots formed by the transverse plates or bars,and they cause the bars or props 27 to be drawn outward. The groovedpulleys are provided with ratchet-teeth and are engaged by pivoted pawls35, mounted on the plowframe and adapted to be readily disengaged fromthe ratchet-teeth of the pulleys to enable the rear sections of thewings to swing inward to pass an obstruction without injury and to adaptthe plow to the width of the roadway to be cleared.

The rear portion of the plow-frame is supported by vertically-adjustable side runners 36, located at opposite sides of theplow-frame, andhaving upwardly-curved front portions. The front portions of the siderunners 36 are loosely arranged in rectangular keepers 37, and therunners are provided at their rear ends with upwardly-extending arms 38,arranged in reetangularkeepers 39. Each runner is pivotally connectedintermediate of its ends to a vertically-adjustable bar 40, arranged ina vertical way or guide and adapted to beraised and lowered by anoperating-lever 41. This connection or manner of mounting the runneraffords the same the necessary rocking movement to conform to anyinequality in the road. The vertical guide for the bar 40 is formed by apair of vertical bars or cleats 42, secured to the plow-frame, andextending upward therefrom and connected by plates, which confine thevertically-movable bar 40 between the cleats The operatinglever 41 ispivotally connected intermediate of its ends to the upper end of the bar40. Its front end is connected by a link-rod 43 with a plow-frame andits rear end is provided with a handle. A spring-actuated detent 44 ismounted on the upper edge of each operatinglever 41 and is arranged toengage an upwardly-curved ratchet 45, passing through an opening or slotof the lever 41, and secured at its lower end to one of the cleats 42 ofthe guide of the vertically-adj ustable bar 40. The spring-actuateddetent is connected by a rod 47 with the outer end of a link 48, whichis disposed transversely of the operating-lever 41, and which is fulcrumed thereon. The inner end of the link 48 is engaged by thebellcrank lever49, fulcrumed on the operatinglever4l, adjacent to thehandle portion thereof, and havin one of its arms disposedlongitudinally of the operating-lever and arranged adjacent to andconforming to the configuration of the handle of the operatinglever. B ythis arrangement the longitudinally-disposed arm of the bell-crank lever49 is located beneath the handle of the operating-lever and is inconvenient position for the operator in grasping the handle to press thebell-crank lever inward against the handle to withdraw thespring-actuated detent from its engagement with the curved ratchet, andas soon as the bell-crank lever 49 is released the spring of the detentwill return the latter into engage stood, and this raising or lifting ofthe plowframe enables either cutter to be raised sufficiently to bringit out of operation, and the plow maybe adjusted so that either, both,or neither cutter can operate. by this construction the plow may beadjusted to operate on any portion of a roadway and to cut at one orboth sides of the plow.

A seat for the accommodation of the driver is m ounted on the plow-frameadjacent to the front ends of the wings, and the pole 7, which isattached to the bob-sled, enables the plow to be readily turned in ashort space. The inward swinging of the rear sections 17 of the wings islimited by horizontal stops 46, projecting laterally from the sides ofthe plowframe, and located adjacent to the slots thereof.

It will be seen that the snow-plow is simple and comparativelyinexpensive in construction, that it is easily operated, and that it isespecially adapted for removing snow-drifts and the like from roads andhighways. It will also be apparent that the plow may be readily adjustedto accommodate itself to the width of a roadway and to the depth of thesnow to be removed, and that the parts may be thrown into and out ofoperation to enable any portion of a road to be operated on withoutoperating on the entire roadway.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of constructionmay be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificingany of the advantages of this invention.

hat I claim is- 1. The combination of a plow frame, the oppositelydisposed snow-clearing cutters fixed to the plow frame and extendingtransversely from opposite sides thereof and diverging rearwardly, thevertically movable runners located in rear of the cutters at oppositesides of the plow frame and supporting the rear of the same and adaptedto raise and lower the plow frame to bring the snow-clearing cuttersinto and out of operation, and means for securing the runners at thedesired elevation, whereby the snow-clearing cutters are adjusted to theproper depth and are held out of operation, substantially as described.

2. In a snow-plow, the combination of a plow-frame having a taperedportion and provided in advance of the same with a forward extension, abob-sled swiveled to and adj ustably supporting the front of theplowframe, the 'angularly disposed cutters mounted on the plow-frame andlocated at the tapered portion thereof, and the verticallyadj ustableside-runners pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the plow-frame andhaving a limited rocking movement, substantially as described.

In. a snowplow, the combination of a plow-frame provided at oppositesides with front and rear keepers, and having vertically disposed guideslocated between the keepers, side runners having their front terminalsarranged in the front keepers and provided at their rear ends withupward extending arms located at the rear keepers and loosely fittingwithin the same, the vertically movable bars arranged in the guides andhavin g their lower ends pivoted to the runners, and means for operatingthe bars,substantiallyas described.

i. In a snow-plow, the combination of a plow-frame provided at oppositesides with vertical guides, the vertically adjustable bars arranged inthe guides, side runners pivoted to the lower ends of the verticallyadjustable bars, levers pivoted intermediate of their ends to the upperends of the bars, links connecting the levers with the frame of theplow, and means for locking the levers in their adj ustment,substantially as described.

5. In a snowplow, the combination of a plow-frame, the wings arranged atopposite sides of the frame, and pivoted at their front ends to thesame, and adapted to be raised and lowered, each wing being composed oftwo sections hinged together, and means for operating the wings,substantially as described.

6. In a snow-plow, the combination of a plow-frame,the wings located atopposite sides of the frame, and composed of front and rear sections,the front sections being arranged at an angle to each other and beingpivoted to the frame, and the rear sections being hinged to the frontsections and arranged to swing outward laterally of the frame to varythe width of the plow, and means for operating the wings, substantiallyas described.

'7. In a snow-plow, the combination of a plow-frame, wings pivoted toopposite sides thereof and adapted to be raised and lowered and providedwith hinged rear sections and arranged to swinglaterally of the plow,the op posite braces having their outer ends loosely connected with therear sections, and having their inner ends hinged to and arranged toslide transversely of the plow'frame, and means for moving the bracesoutward, substantially as described.

8. In a snow-plow, the combination of a plow-frame, wings located atopposite sides thereof and provided with hinged rear sections arrangedto swing transversely of the plow frame, plates or bars disposedtransversely of the plow-frame and separated to form transverse slots orways, opposite braces provided at their inner ends with tongues arrangedin the slots or ways and interlocked with the plates or bars, armslocated at the outer ends of the braces and hinged to the wings, andmeans for moving the braces outward, substantially as described.

9. In a snow-plow, the combination of a plow-frame provided withtransverse ways, wings located at opposite sides of the plowframe, andprovided with hinged. sections,

nections passing around the pulleys at the braces having their outerends connected to the hinged sections of the Wings and having theirinner ends arranged in said Ways and adapted to slide transversely ofthe plowfranie, pulleys located at the outer terminals of the Ways,vertical shafts mounted on the plow-frame, grooved pulleys fixed to theshafts and provided with ratchet teeth, flexible conthe grooved pulleys,and pawls for engaging the ratchet teeth of the grooved pulleys,substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CLARENCE L. COATES. \Yitnesses:

FRANK W. SPAULDING, CHARLES XV. SMITH.

outer terminals of the Ways, and secured to the inner ends of the bracesand attached to

